By Jan. 17, 2004, the family dog is twelve and one-half years old. Our yellow Labrador, Missi, has been experiencing a decline in mobility since she was eight years old. For the past two years, she is unable to negotiate stairs. My husband has been carrying her down in the morning and up in the evening and we block the stairs during the day. Fortunately, my husband is physically able to carry an 85-pound dog up and down stairs. Not all households are that fortunate. I know of one person that had to walk and rub their elderly dog for 15 minutes at the top of the stairs before he would allow the dog to attempt going down. I know of another person that is sleeping downstairs with their pet because she does not want the pet to feel dejected, as it cannot make it up and down the stairs. Another person hangs onto their dog's collar in precarious positions hoping for a safe landing. Others having experienced dangerous incidents that lead the owner not to allow the dog to go upstairs with the family. Products on the market only assist with walking, standing, and going upstairs. While considering the unanswered, longstanding need to assist an elderly dog downstairs, I designed a very secure dog vest that allows the owner to stabilize and support some of the dog's weight as they both descend the stairs side by side. The vest is also useful for assisting the elderly or injured dog in standing up, walking, and performing other outdoor duties.